Australia’s War Memorial
Australia is the land Down Under. It is no misnomer, the Aussie land is indeed down under and far away from all the actions fermenting all over the globe. Her closest neighbour is undeveloped Papua New Guinea which has a 100-plus kilometers of water separation. Her geographical isolation is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because she needs not bother about the atrocities going on in the perverted world. Being so remote is another strategic geographical security from foreign aggression. Coupled with her huge land mass, largely uninhabited, it is a safe country. The main flip-side is that it is immensely costly to engage the rest of the world.
Strangely enough, the kangaroo politicians are always itching to exercise the kangaroo kick. Australia is small, but has a big political appetite to show the world it is big. Internally, the aboriginal issues are still simmering but they are not of a great security threat. It is her volunteerism in international conflicts that is truly puzzling. The Australian War Memorial listed 15 major wars involving Australia:
- Colonial period, 1788–1901
- Sudan, March–June 1885
- South African War (Boer War), 1899–1902
- China (Boxer Rebellion), 1900–01
- First World War, 1914–18
- Second World War, 1939–45
- Occupation of Japan, 1946–51
- Korean War, 1950–53
- Malayan Emergency, 1950–60
- Indonesian Confrontation, 1963–66
- Vietnam War, 1962–75
- Iraq: the First Gulf War, 1990–91
- Afghanistan, 2001–present
- Iraq: the Second Gulf War, 2003–09
- Peacekeeping, 1947–present
The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported the following:
Over 100,000 Australians have lost their lives through war. Many more thousands have been wounded, while the number of Australians who have served abroad in wartime is eight to nine times the number who have died.
These bare statistics alone show the significance that war has had for Australia. Australia’s history is different from that of many other nations in that since the first coming of the Europeans and their dispossession of the Aboriginals, Australia has not experienced a subsequent invasion; no war has since been fought on Australian soil. Yet Australians have fought in ten wars. Some of these have been in distant lands, others much closer to home. All of them were begun by other nations and involved Australia because of its overseas ties; alliances formed through sentiment, loyalty or simply for reasons of security. Paramount among these ties have been those with Great Britain and, more recently, the United States.
It clearly stated that the involvement is nothing but foolish obeisance to none other that the Brits and the Yankees. More than 100,000 Aussies have perished through sheer narcissistic policies of leaders. The Abbot government is threading a path of greater folly beyond comprehension. Abbot barked at Russia over the MH17, seemingly in obedience to the Yankee masters. The result is unnecessary sufferings of farmers who lost their businesses with Russia. It is about to get worse. The Greens have failed to stop further military intervention by the Abbot government in Iraq.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott yesterday announced the RAAF’s involvement in the supply of military equipment to anti-Islamic State fighters, with the first mission to take place “in coming days”. …. Greens leader Christine Milne moved to suspend standing orders at the start of today’s session in the Senate. She told the Upper House there is a “no greater responsibility” to a Parliament or Prime Minister “than to send our armed service men and women into a war zone” (The Sun Herald).
Australia’s C-130 Hercules has already came under machine-gun fire by ISIS in this engagement. Australians seem nonchalant about fighting a war that she has no reason to be involved in. It may just be apathy, or more likely, ignorance. Until Aussie boys return in body bags will Aussies be awakened to the consequences of their reticence. Till then, “Cheers, another beer.”
Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly.
Thy word ..... 